Location: INDONESIA

A millionaire in the West can afford to rent a helicopter to reach the peaks of the Dolomites. In Indonesia, an ordinary tourist can afford to hire a person and be pulled to the top of a volcano.

The fame of the spectacular Mount Ijen has led sulfur miners to abandon one of the toughest and most hazardous jobs in the world for an equally strenuous and unhealthy, yet more humiliating task: pulling tourists to the summit while still dealing with the daily challenge of inhaling toxic gases and carrying the weight on their shoulders.

Mass tourism has enabled the middle class to travel the world, by exploiting the economic inequality of developing countries to experience privileges only the rich can enjoy in their own nations. With money and ignorance in hand, there is a sense of superiority. Perhaps, we should remind ourselves more often that the economic privilege Westerners have over developing countries is not derived from the myth of hard work and sacrifice, but rather a privilege born from centuries of suppression, colonisation, slavery, neo-colonisation, and exploitation. We should show respect for oppressed cultures. Unfortunately, more often than not, the situation is the exact opposite. The oppressed treat the oppressor with respect, fear, and humility, while the oppressor self-celebrates his wealth.

ABOUT NICOLO’ BRUGNARA